"WHAT ARE BETHEL MEETINGS?"

"WHAT ARE YOUR BETHEL MEETINGS?" was a question proposed, some time ago, by a benevolent Christian lady to the Secretary of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. And, WHAT ARE BETHEL CAPTAINS?" was the inquiry of a philanthropic gentleman, who had spent the chief part of his life in India, addressed to the same officer. These questions, however, are still made by many whose generous minds prompt them to aid in promoting the cause of Christ among seamen. However plain and expressive the terms employed, thousands, especially in towns remote from our sea-ports, have no idea of their full import in relation to sailors. Answers to them, therefore, cannot fail to be interesting to all those who desire the moral and religious improvement of sailors.

"Bethel" is a word of hallowed meaning: it leads back our minds to a period of high antiquity and patriarchal history, more than three thousand years ago, when Jacob, exiled from his father's house, solitary and alone, traversing a strange country, laid himself down to sleep in an almond grove. There he was instructed by the "visions of God," and comforted with the promises of the New Covenant, which secured to him personally its inestimable blessings, and assured to him that, from his seed should spring, for salvation to all nations, the long-expected Messiah.

Rising early in the morning, with "reverence and godly fear," he reflected on the visions of the night with which he had been favoured; and inspired with the Holy Spirit, Jacob exclaimed, "Surely the LORD is in this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven! And he called the name of that place Bethel," or House of God: "but the name of that city was Luz at the first."Gen. xxviii. 19.

"Bethel ships," then, are such as are the "Houses of God" afloat, and "Bethel Captains" are truly religious commanders and captains, who, like the late pious Admiral Lord Gambier, who was a

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cordial and zealous patron of the Bethel Union Society, and himself a Bethel Admiral, dare to be singular in the service of God, making their ships indeed as the "house of God," and their men to become familiar with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And who that believes on the Son of God to life eternal,-that feels the power and enjoys the sweetness of its saving doctrines, would not rejoice to learn that every habitation of man on land, and every.floating ship at sea, were indeed and of a truth-a Bethel—a House of God?

British ships-distressing as it must be to every pious mind to reflect on it were proverbially denominated, but a few years ago, "Floating Hells," and that with lamentable propriety: not only on account of the terrible weapons of destruction, the "thunder and fire," which have made the proudest hearts to tremble, but because of the dreadful wickedness of their crews, especially when in port. Improvement to a great degree has manifestly taken place, during the last thirty years, in the moral habits of British seamen; but if they be skilful, and brave, and self-denying, the shocking scenes which are exhibited in every sea-port, more especially London, Liverpool, Bristol, Portsmouth, Plymouth, &c., demonstrate the fearful depravity of multitudes of our sea-going population.

British ships may, however, become Bethels; and those who labour in effecting the conversion of seamen are, in this respect, entitled to the best thanks of their countrymen, especially of the churches of Christ. Praying sailors, and praying captains of ships, may, however, by some persons be considered as only an imaginary class of beings: but, honour to the devoted labourers for the evangelisation of seamen! such there are; and their number, it is manifest, happily increases. The writer of this paper some time ago paid a short visit to a worthy Bethel captain, for the purpose of inspecting his beautiful vessel; when, on entering his cabin, he remarked, "This, sir, is our BETHEL ROOM; and I have the pleasure of stating, that all my hands on board, twelve in number, I believe are men of prayer!" Such a ship must be regarded as truly a Bethel,-a house of God; and the cabin, sanctified by the word of God and prayer," in the daily exercises of devotion, must be looked upon by those privileged to assemble in it, as Jacob regarded his place of communion with God,"the gate of heaven!"

"Bethel Men," as religious sailors are called, believing the Gospel for pardon and eternal life, and having "fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ," by their sobriety, temperance, and all the virtues of genuine Christianity, adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour: they are an honour to their country, and constitute much of the glory of their nation; giving, in foreign lands, a worthy representation of the moral dignity of Great Britain.

The "Bethel Flag," the well-known signal for Divine worship among sailors, was contrived by the sailors themselves, to hoist for the purpose of announcing their meetings: it was invented in 1818, made of blue bunting, about nine feet long and six feet wide, having the word

"BETHEL" in large white letters of the same kind of cloth sewed on it, with a star of hope on one corner, and a dove, with an olive-branch of peace, on the other. This flag is now known in almost every port round the world, chiefly through the agency of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, by whom it is furnished to Bethel captains.

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"Bethel Meetings," on board ships, form one important branch of the operations of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. Its agents "afloat" in this service almost every evening in the week, among the three thousand ships constantly in the port of London. During the day, the Thames missionaries carry Bethel flags, in their visitation of the shipping, to obtain the promise of the use of ships for the evening the captains, giving permission for the service of God to be held in their vessels, order the "flags" to be hoisted, as the wellknown signal for the "Bethel Meetings ;" and, as business will allow or inclination prompt, the sailors assemble in company, sometimes in the ship's "hold," and sometimes in the cabin: but in the summer evenings, in fine weather, the service of God is then performed on deck.

"Bethel Meetings" are usually conducted in the following manner : the minister commences the sacred service by giving out a hymn : this having been sung, and a chapter of the Holy Scriptures read, one, two, three, or more captains, or private sailors, successively, with a verse or two sung at intervals,-call upon the Lord our God through Jesus Christ in prayer: after which a short sermon is delivered by the preacher, who closes the holy exercises by prayer, or a hymn. The following extract from the "Journal" of the senior Thames missionary will best explain the nature and order of Bethel Meetings, and most fully satisfy those who are making the inquiry of the lady to whom we have already referred in this paper.

'Monday, Jan. 13.-Lower Pool: held our meeting this evening on board the Providence,' of Scarborough, Captain W. This was a meeting, I trust, long to be remembered by many that were present. Singing a hymn, and reading a portion of the Holy Scriptures, commenced our service (our usual way), when three captains of vessels, and seven sailors, engaged in prayer; and never did I hear such earnest, solemn, devotional supplications! Surely God was in the midst of us, and that to bless us! Let his name have all the glory! Time would allow only a very brief address, which I gave from these words, 'Seek the LORD whilst he may be found,' &c. : I trust the seed, thus feebly sown, will be found after many days to the honour and glory of our everlasting covenant-keeping God."

Benefits innumerable, and blessings immortal, through the Holy Spirit, revealing the atonement and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to the hearts of many sailors, in these "Bethel Meetings" on the flood. Thousands in this way have been born of the Spirit of God, and sanctified by his truth, obtaining mercy from Him who in condescending grace, says, “I AM THE GOD OF BETHEL." Thirty years ago it was a very rare thing to meet with a truly pious sailor; many, even of reli

gious persons, could hardly believe such could be found it is now, however, computed that there are at least 10,000 or 12,000 consistent Christian seamen, truly Bethel sailors! and 600 or 700 truly religious Bethel captains, with nearly 1000 Bethel ships! Every benevolent pious mind must pray that all mariners may be such men to reflect before all nations the glory of God, and the honour of Great Britain. And now, reader, what will you do to aid the operations of the BRITISH AND FOREIGN SAILORS' SOCIETY?

THE CRIMPING SYSTEM.-No. I.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SAILOR'S MAGAZINE.

SIR,-Convinced as we feel of the abominable wickedness and abounding evils of the nefarious system commonly known by the title which stands at the head of this article, and equally convinced of the general ignorance of the public mind on this head, we would beg, in order that the subject may excite attention, with an ultimate view to the removal of the evils therein exhibited, the insertion of the following remarks in your next Magazine; and should it meet your approbation, we shall then be willing to forward you another paper or two on the same subject.

From our daily intercourse with seamen, we are in the habit of meeting with them in all the varieties of situation and character which their arduous and chequered life exhibits. We have to congratulate the healthy and successful, to sympathise with the sorrowing and distressed, to exhort the abandoned and profligate, to welcome the penitent prodigal, to rejoice with the established believer; but we can only grieve over the hapless condition of him who has permitted himself to be clenched by the circling and fatal grasp of men, who, to accomplish their own selfish and abominable purposes, count no expense too great, no life too valuable to sacrifice, to their one object of obtaining filthy lucre. Sad indeed is the fact, that though the sailor's is a life of ceaseless and innumerable dangers, none are so fearful as those which he has to meet on his own shores, and in the metropolis of that very land whose liberties he sustains, whose power he supports, and whose commerce it is the one object of his life to secure and to increase.

The majesty of the ocean-storm he is prepared to meet the deprivations of a long and dreary voyage he is ready to sustain-the hidden rock and the reef-bound shore he knows how to guard against -the dangers and diseases of a foreign clime he can presume to brave; but the artful but equally destructive insinuations of a deceitful crimp, the candour and generosity of his nature forbid him to suspect, and therefore disqualify him to withstand.

We will, in this paper, present a brief outline of this system of extortion and robbery, and the extent to which it is carried on; and shall take another opportunity to point out what we conceive to be

the great root or cause of the evil, and then proceed to recommend the measures we consider calculated to lessen, and finally to remove it.

From the time of the departure of a vessel from the port, the crimp makes it his business to keep a continual watch over her course, by means of the shipping lists in the newspapers, so that he is never at a loss for the exact time when she may be expected to return. Anxiously does he perceive her reported at Portsmouth. And as a proof of the immense gain he makes of these poor seamen, it will be sufficient to say, that years ago, when travelling was so much more expensive than it is now, the charge of a journey by land to Portsmouth was not considered by these crimps too great a risk to run, in order to meet a vessel and secure their prey. As ships do not now lie so long there, it is not usual for them to go lower than Gravesend or the Downs. But as soon as the crimp hears of her arrival there, he immediately hastens down, boards the vessel, and commences his systematic and well-planned means of attack, which consists in concealing so artfully the treacherous meshes of an unfailing net, that the honest sailor, ere he is aware, is beguiled, secured, and ruined. A bow of politeness to the captain and officers, and a word or two of specious congratulation with the men, and the way is prepared for his designs. He proceeds to open his story. His rum-bottle is generously produced, and freely pressed round upon the jovial crew. All is hilarity, and hope, and joy. The men are delighted with the prospect of once more treading old England's ground, and hail with gladness the merry countenance and glozing adulation of an old hand from shore: the budget of news is opened, and the history of old ships and shipmates is asked for, and listened to with delight. "I say, Jack, and is this the best jacket you've got to go ashore in? you had better let me fit you with a better one; never mind about paying me now, you know," says the foe. Well, as I must have one, I suppose I may as well have it now, so bear a hand," says Jack. The jacket and the waistcoat, and the trowsers are soon found to suit, and the example of one is speedily followed by the rest, and the business prospers. how are you off for cash, Jack? I suppose barely got a shot in the locker. If you want a few shillings, you know you 're welcome to as much as you please." The offer is so generous, and the cash will be so handy for the first grog-shop ashore, Jack cannot, he does not wish, to refuse. He eagerly accepts the loan of five or ten shillings, and his shipmates of course must be as well off as himself, and they are soon supplied. All is good temper and merriment, but the crimp has gained his end-the men are sold-he has them every one under his thumb. From that moment they are no longer their own masters, but his slaves.

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All this while the ship is on her way up the river, and as Jack's hammock and chest are not allowed in many cases to enter the dock in the ship, he needs a friend at once to take charge of him and his property, and to offer him a home. For this crisis, however, the crimp has well provided; his cart is waiting on purpose for Jack's